quelqu'un
/kɛl.k‿œ̃/masculine
Anyone in French is quelqu'un in questions, personne in negative sentences and n'importe qui when you mean anyone at all. If unsure, use quelqu'un.
Meaning: anybody (pron)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| quelqu'un | /kɛl.k‿œ̃/ | masculine |
| n'importe qui | /n‿ɛ̃.pɔʁ.t(ə) ki/ | |
| personne | /pɛʁ.sɔn/ |
quelqu'un is used in questions such as Il y a quelqu'un ?, is there anyone here?
What does it mean word for word?
n'importe qui literally means no matter who.
Which one should you use?
n'importe qui means anyone at all, it does not matter who, as in anyone can do this. personne with ne means not anyone, so in negative sentences it translates anyone.
How does it change in a sentence?
In negative sentences ne goes before the verb and personne after it.
How do you pronounce it?
quelqu'un is pronounced /kɛl.k‿œ̃/, in two syllables, ending in a nasal vowel.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use quelqu'un in negative sentences. In I don't see anyone, use personne with ne instead.
Did you know?
- While quelqu'un refers to 'anyone' in a general sense, using it as a noun can mean 'somebody important'. To say 'He is someone' in the sense of being a VIP, you use C'est quelqu'un.
- The word personne comes from the Latin persona, which refers to the mask worn by an actor in a play.
- In casual spoken French, the ne in ne… personne is frequently dropped. A native speaker might say Je vois personne instead of Je ne vois personne to mean 'I don't see anyone'.
Examples in context
- Il y a quelqu'un ?Is there anyone here?quelqu'un in a question asks if anyone is there.Tatoeba #126571 by TRANG, translation #2092619 by CK
- Ne vire personne !Don't fire anyone.Ne and personne together mean not anyone.Tatoeba #2092891 by sacredceltic, translation #2092584 by CK
- Ne vexe personne !Don't offend anyone!personne after the verb again gives the meaning not anyone.Tatoeba #7938622 by Micsmithel, translation #3841954 by popball
- N'importe qui peut participer à cette compétition.Anyone can participate in this competition.
- Je peux demander à n'importe qui de l'aide.I can ask anyone for help.
- 856 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are at a crowded café.
- ChloéEst-ce qu'il y a quelqu'un ici ?Is there anyone here?
- HugoNon, la table est libre.No, the table is free.
- ChloéQuelqu'un a laissé son sac.Someone left their bag.
- HugoJe vais chercher le serveur.I will go look for the waiter.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “anyone” translations and entries quelqu'un, n'importe qui, personne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries personne, quelqu'un, qui, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
